Nike says it will cover travel and lodging for employees seeking abortion services in places where it becomes illegal following Friday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling.
The Oregon company joins Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Starbucks and many other companies that have pledged to reimburse travel costs for employees seeking abortions in places where services aren’t available.
Abortion remains legal in Oregon, which has robust protections for abortion rights under state law. But Nike has stores all over the country and distribution centers in Tennessee and Indiana, two states that are poised to severely restrict abortion access following Friday’s ruling.
“No matter where our teammates are on their family planning journey – from contraception and abortion coverage, to pregnancy and family-building support through fertility, surrogacy and adoption benefits – we are here to support their decisions,” Nike said in a statement to Footwear News on Friday.
“We cover travel and lodging expenses in situations where services are not available close to home and regularly make adjustments to our benefits to ensure employees have access to the quality healthcare they need,” the company said.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday overturned the court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion as a constitutional right in 1973.
Intel, Oregon’s largest corporate employer, has not issued a statement internally or externally about Friday’s Supreme Court ruling.
— Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | Twitter: @rogoway |